Having recently watched a string of movies that all disappoint in one way or other, Atonement is a relief. It's a masterfully executed tragic romance based on the highly regarded book.

Briony Tallis, played in this age of 13 by Saoirse, is an aspiring and talented writer of fiction. She also has a crush for their groundsman Robbie, who has a complex romance with Briony's older sister Cecilia. When Briony witnesses her teenaged friend being raped, she falsely names Robbie as the assaulter, blinded by her infatuation and jealousy. As a result, Robbie is imprisoned, and later enlisted in war.

Photography is glorious throughout, both in beauty and style. The romance as well as the tragedy are intense. The style is excessive by just the right amount. Instead of bordering silly, it shows the director being in complete control of the genre. Keira Knightley, playing Cecilia, shines. It's hard to find a flaw in the movie.

Saoirse plays Briony for about the first half of the movie, and plays well. The character is intelligent, restless, and highly purposeful in her writing. Briony's tragic crush on the older man is credible for one of her age, intense but naive.